Writer's Workshop- Life at a Bookstore

For today's Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop, I chose:

4.) A memorable day at work.

I have worked at a small, independent bookstore for almost 4 years. It's located in a great, little neighborhood and has a large variety of customers.

After four years, I've met many different people, looking for a wide variety of books.

I thought I'd probably heard it all. Then one night, I found out I was wrong.

I was working alone one evening when an elderly couple came into the store. I had never seen them before. I welcomed them and smiled at how cute they were. They looked like sweet, little grandma and grandpa types if ever I saw.

Grandpa started perusing the store as Grandma walked over to me.

"Do you have an erotica section?"

I was shocked. Did Grandma just ask me about naked people doing naked people things?

"I'm sorry," I said. "Did you say erotica section?"

"Yes, Dear," she said.

Here I was thinking they were probably looking for All Creatures Great and Small or knitting books or maybe John Grisham if they were feeling daring.

But they were looking for EROTICA!

"No. I'm sorry." I said with complete composure. "We don't have an erotica section."

"Oh, that's too bad," Grandma said in her grandmotherly voice.

She walked back to Grandpa and broke the bad news. "They don't have erotica."

"Oh well," said Grandpa.

Then Grandma took Grandpa's arm and they waved goodbye as they walked out of the store.

Well, I thought. I've seen a new one tonight.

How odd. And yet, reassuring. If 78 year olds are interested in erotica books, more power to them I say.